Step 33: Sprinklers
July 10, the sprinkler installers finally arrived. They were supposed
to come two weeks ago, then last week. Glenn called the contractor
and told him, he was now waiting for him. He rearranged things and his
crew showed up. They had the sprinklers installed and tested in just
two days. On Friday, July 13th, the fire marshal and the sprinkler contractor
showed up for the official testing of the system and it passed. Then
Glenn got talking with them, because we have been concerned about fire danger.
It's now been above 98 for a couple of weeks, and we've had several
days of over 100 - up to about 105. The ground is bone-dry, and fire
danger is extreme.

Over the 4th of July, some kids set of illegal
(roman candle) fireworks and started a fire on the mountain side above draper.
Two weekends ago, as I was driving up to the house, I looked at the
'cloud' coming over the ridge behind the house and decided it was smoke. I
knew for certain when I stepped out of the car. It was smoke. Glenn
and I drove up farther to see if we could determine where it was. Turns
out it was at Cedar Fort, over the mountain and quite a ways away. But
it looked like it was just on the other side of the ridge. We have
talked on and off about what we should do. Sprinklers on the roof was
something we had tossed around. Anyway, the fire marshall agreed with
Glenn that the FCOZ people are nuts (Foothill Canyon Overlay Zone) because
they want us to replace every tree we take out that is over 6" in diameter
three feet above the ground, with another tree, and with two, if it isn't
the same kind. The kind of trees up there are scrub juniper. They
EXPLODE when hit with fire because they are so full of pitch. We want
to replace them all with better, less flammable trees.

The fire marshall said that
the roof isn't the danger area. It's the walls. We should have
sprinklers on the walls. Glenn asked where, and the fire marshall and
the contractor surveyed the landscape and gave him the answer. On both
front and back porches and the west side of the house. The land drops
off by the garage, and is much less of a danger. The kind of fire that
would blow through, is fueled by sage brush and cheat grass, and would be
through in two minutes. So Glenn said to go ahead and do it. They
were installed that afternoon. Five along the eaves on the west side,
and three on the front porch and three on the back. Pretty cool! And
we feel a whole lot better about our fire protection plan.